Improvement in flax-thrashing machines



. J. W. CROOKS.

- Flax-Thrgshing- Machine.

f No. 222,4 2 Patented Dec.9,-187 9.

N STATES PATENT OFFIC JAMES W. cnoo s, or STRAWTOWN, INDIANA, ASSIGNORor ONE-HALF or rs RIGHT TO BIC-HARD A, connnn, or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT. IN FL A X THRASHIN-G A'o mE's.

- Specification forming part of Letters nae-.11; a... 222,462. datedDecember 9, 1879 application filed September 16, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I,- JAMES" W. CROOKS, of

Strawtown,-in the county of Hamilton and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and' useful 1m movements in' Fl ax-Thrashin g Machines; andI do hereby. declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of .the same, reference being made to the "accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of {this specification, andinwhich- Figure'l isa top 'or. plan View of "my iin-' proved machine; Fig. 2, a side view,with a ve rtical' section through one of the rollers;

Fig. transverse section through one of the rollers. v

, This inv'ention relates. to certain newand useful improvements inmachines especially designed for thrashing or rollin gout flaxseed .tobe used on the ground in-the field, or on a -platfornror largebarn-floor, having for its -.objee't the production of ama'chine whereinthe flax-bolls containing the's'eedare subjected 'to'the weightof heavyrollers concentrated ina small space for crushin g thetough'flax-bolls,and also to the obtaining of the best leveragefor" horsepower to beapplied thereto foropcrating themachine; and to this end the 111-".ven'tion consists in 'the' general' construction and arrangement orcombination of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, andspecifically pointed out in the claims. Toenable others skilled in theart to which my vention is most nearly connected'to make and use. thesame, I will now proceed to de scribe the construction and operation ofthe several parts. 1

In the drawings, A represents a series of rollers or frustums of cones,whose apex is at A, with the basefof the cones at the circumfer'enceofthe circle, the apex of the cones, of

which therollers are the frustums, beingat the center of the circle. vThe first and second rollers of the series, have journal-holes athroughthem for the re- 'ception of the shafts a, a. The shaft a, pass.- ing'through the first roller of the-series, projects ashort distance beyondthela'rge end thereof, and is provided with an eye, of, by

which, through the medium of a common clevis, a double or single treecan besecured thereto, whereby horse-powercan be applied for operatingthe machine, and which being outside of the circumference of the circlein which the rollers travel, greaterleverage is obtained for the horseorhorses operating the machine. I

.The shaft (1, )assin g through the first roller ofthe series, alsoprojects a short distance beyondits smallest end, where it is groovedinto a piece of timber, B, termed a tongue, and securedby means ofclevis or other suitable clamps lrb. This tongue B extends ,to thecenter A" of the circle, and is provided at that end with a broad -ironeye, I), securely bolted; thereto, and through said eye b passes astake,

O, which is driven into the ground, thus sei curing the machine inposition, and forming a central point, around which the machine travels.The shaft a, passing through the second roller'of the series, alsoprojects a suf -ficient distance to receive twosets of coupling or drawbars, D D, by which it is connected with the firstand the third rollerof the series,

said bars D being provided-with suitable eyes.

or journal-holes (1, through which the shafts "series of iron rods orstaples, E, secured thereto in any suitable manner. The object'of these.iron rods or staples is to concentrate all the weight of the rollers ina small space, so as to crush the tough flax-bolls containing the seed,and as said rodsor staples tend to leave the.

straw uneven or in ridges, the smooth roller following will tend tolevel the straw, pack it firm, and operate to crush the flax-bolls tothe bottom of the bed of straw, or at least allot 1 the dry flax-bolls.a

Two staples, j f,-on the tongue B are used to secure a lead-pole, F,which is connected with the bridle or bit of the harness on. the

horse by a lead-rein, G.

The first and second 'rollers of the series haveboxe's in them for thereception ofthe shaft, for lessening friction, andconsequently wear. Incase the rods or'staples E-outwo rollers are not fully efficient on thetough flax-bolls, the third roller ot the series can also be providedwith said rods or staples, in whichcase there would only be one plain orsmooth rollerin'the series for the dry flax-bolls,'and which can beeither the first'or last of the series of rollers, as may be deemedexpedient.

In the present instance the machine isintended for two horses; and whichare connected to the machine by a double-tree at the outer extremity ofthe shaft a of the first roller of the series, all as clearly shown inFig. 1.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: A suitable circularbed of flax having .been formed on the ground, or on a suitable platformor barn-floor, the machine secured in position by the central'stake, O,and the horses connected thereto, as described, the "horses draw therollers around over the bed of straw .nntil the seeds are rolled orcrushed out of the flax-bolls in the manner above described, the

' lead-pole and lead-rein causing the horses to travel in the path of acircle outside of the circumference of the bed over which the rollerstravel, I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as'new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. 1. In a machine for thrashing or'rolllng out fiaxseed, a series ofthree or more rollers form- .ing frustums of cones, connected togetherby. flexible coupling or drawbars D, and adapted to'be connected to andtravel around the central or apex point of the rollers, substantially inthe manner herein shown and described.

2. In a machine for thrashing or rolling out flaxseed, thecombination'of one or more rollers eye or its equivalent at its outerend, andconnected at its innerend with a tongue, B, provided with aneye, 6, for the reception of a stake, O, the several parts constructedand relatively arranged to operate substantially in the manner hereinshown anddescribed. I JAMES-W. CROOKS.

Witnesses:

AUGUSTUS F. Snmrs, J OHN B. FoUL'KE;

